The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) is a burean within the United States Department of State. It coordinates a portfolio of issues related to science, the environment, and the world's oceans. The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... Ocean (from Okeanos, a Greek god of sea and water; Greek ωκεανός) covers almost three quarters (71%) of the surface of the Earth. ...

As of 2005, it is headed by Assistant Secretary John F. Turner. Anthony (Bud) F. Rock is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

The Oceans and Fisheries Directorate has two offices dedicated to international oceans issues. The Office of Marine Conservation focuses on international fisheries matters and related problems and the Office of Oceans Affairs has primary responsibility for international ocean law and policy, marine pollution, marine mammals, polar affairs, maritime boundaries, and marine science. As of 2005, it is headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary David Balton. A lobster boat unloading its catch in Ilfracombe harbour, North Devon, England A fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic species, an activity known as fishing. ... Admiralty law (usually referred to as simply admiralty and also referred to as maritime law) is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. ... Water pollution has many sources and characteristics. ... A marine mammal is a mammal that is primarily ocean-dwelling or depends on the ocean for its food. ... Marine Science is a multidisciplinary field of study and research of ocean life and physics. ...

The Environment Directorate deals with environmental issues including environmental aspects of international trade and safeguarding hazardous materials requiring multilateral agreements within the Office of Environmental Policy. The Office of Ecology & Terrestrial Conservation develops U.S. foreign policy approaches to conserving and managing the world ecosystems. As of 2005, it is headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary Claudia McMurray. In ecology, an ecosystem is a naturally occurring assemblage of organisms (plant, animal and other living organisms—also referred to as a biotic community or biocoenosis) living together with their environment (or biotope), functioning as a unit of sorts. ...

The Health, Space and Science Directorate includes the Office of International Health Affairs which works with U.S. Government agencies to facilitate policy-making regarding international bioterrorism, infectious disease, surveillance and response, environmental health, and health in post-conflict situations. The Office of Space and Advanced Technology handles issues arising from our exploration of space to assure global security regarding this new frontier, and the Office of Science & Technology (S&T) Cooperation promotes the interests of the U.S. science and technology communities in the international policy arena, negotiates framework and other S&T agreements, manages the Department's Embassy Science fellows program, and takes a leading role in representing U.S. science and technology in multilateral international organizations, such as UNESCO and other UN organizations, APEC, OECD and others. As of 2005, the Health, Space and Science Directorate is headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary Lee Morin. Bioterrorism is terrorism using germ warfare, an intentional human release of a naturally_occurring or human_modified toxin or biological agent. ... In medicine, infectious disease or communicable disease is disease caused by a biological agent (e. ... Environmental health is defined by the World Health Organisation as: Those aspects of human health and disease that are determined by factors in the environment. ... Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer-Earth objects and generally anything that involves the technologies, science, and politics regarding space endeavors. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ... APEC can also stand for Atlantic Provinces Economic Council Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of Pacific Rim countries who meet with the purpose of improving economic and political ties. ... The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ...

External links

• Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (http://www.state.gov/g/oes/)